Dartmouth Events

Abstract:  The next 10 years of astrophysics will be defined by our collective ability to obtain, interpret and rapidly distribute time-domain observations of the variable sky with an army of ground-based and space-borne instruments. Time-domain astronomy is among the most powerful tools to understand the evolution of some of the highest energy phenomena in the Universe. Blazars are active galactic nuclei with relativistic jets that point near the Earth line-of-sight, making them inherently variable sources that are a staple of time-domain and multiwavelength astronomy. This orientation makes them ideal laboratories for studying relativistic jet physics. Using nearly a decade of multiwavelength, simultaneous observations, I will review my recent findings on the location of the gamma-emitting region in flaring blazars, advocate for a consolidated framework for understanding this variability and describe how such investigations can ultimately inform blazar studies in the LSST era.